That is why I believe, teach/preach and confess that “people are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake” (ibid).

In other words, we are saved by grace through faith alone as a completely free gift – to us – from God.

We cannot do anything to earn the gift. Of course, then it wouldn’t be a gift at all, even if we could earn it.

God gives us this gift because he loves us. He forgives that which we did actually earn.

Our sins earn us hell. But thanks be to God that he gives us the free gift of the forgiveness of our sins!

But let us not overlook the truth that while salvation is a free gift, it still has a cost.

It is a free gift to us.

But it cost Jesus everything! He paid the wages of our sins with his sacrificial death on the cross and his glorious resurrection from the dead on the third day!

So, in our own gift giving we can glorify God and proclaim the Gospel by giving gifts freely and without expectation of reciprocity – just as God gave us the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Heavenly Father, God of all grace, govern our hearts that we may never forget your blessings and always thank and praise you for all your goodness in this life until, with all your saints, we praise you eternally in your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.